How Long is the NBA Finals?

Contents

Introduction
History of the NBA Finals
The Length of the NBA Finals
Why the NBA Finals Lasts So Long
Conclusion

The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion.

The NBA Finals has been played every year since 1947, and was originally known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA) Finals. The first Finals was played between the Philadelphia Warriors and the Chicago Stags, with the Warriors winning the series 4-1. In 1949, the BAA merged with the

Introduction

The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The winning team of the series receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

History of the NBA Finals

The Finals were originally known as the World Series of Basketball, with the first edition held in 1947 between the Philadelphia Warriors and Chicago Stags. The NBA Finals were originally broadcast on radio by Mutual Broadcasting System (MUT) from 1947 to 1956. Between 1953 and 1955, three out of four Finals were played in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, home to then-Western Conference rivals Lakers and Pistons. The 1956 series marked the debut of ABC’s Wide World of Sports television coverage. This resulted in an increase in ratings, leading to a rise in popularity for the NBA.

The Length of the NBA Finals

The NBA Finals was initially structured in 1947 to be a best-of-five series played between the champions of the Eastern and Western Divisions. Due to travel difficulties between the two coasts at that time, it was impractical to schedule more than five games. Between 1949 and 1957, except for 1950 and 1953, the NBA Finals were played in a best-of-seven format regardless of whether four or five games were needed. From 1958 through 1971, when Divisional Realignment and Playoff Structure created four Conference finalists, all NBA Finals were played in a best-of-seven format.

When Divisional Realignment was introduced for the 1971–72 season, creating four Conference finals qualifiers from each Conference (two from each Division), the NBA Finals reverted to a best-of-seven format.

Why the NBA Finals Lasts So Long

Every year, the NBA Finals is one of the most hotly anticipated events in sports. But why does it last so long?

The answer lies in the format of the Finals. Unlike most other professional sports leagues, which use a best-of-seven format for their championship series, the NBA has adopted a best-of-seven format for the Finals. This means that the team that wins four games out of seven is declared the winner of the series.

While this may seem like a long time, it actually gives each team a fair chance to win the championship. In a best-of-five series, for example, a team could easily lose the first two games and then come back to win the next three. However, in a best-of-seven series, it is much more difficult to come back from an 0-2 deficit.

So, while it may take a bit longer to crown an NBA champion, the league’s format ensures that the best team will ultimately emerge victorious.

Conclusion

The average length of an NBA Finals is 6.7 games. However, the longest NBA Finals was in 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors went to 7 games. The shortest NBA Finals was in 2007 when the San Antonio Spurs beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in 4 games.